The doctor said we were very lucky. Freddie and I both had mild concussions and broken arms and a broken ankle, but other than that we were okay. Freddie wasn't happy his very expensive car was ruined but he was reminded he should be thankful to be alive. My parents were very upset one that I snuck out without their permission had been gone for hours, and two, I had scared them to death. They were so relieved to have me alive they didn't even ground me.

Three months later...

It was a mild August afternoon and since the car crash three months ago Freddie and I had given our lives to Christ. Today we were getting baptized. We were getting baptized at my church in and outside lake because of the weather was nice and afterwards everyone was having a party. Many people were there: All the members of our family and our extended family, numerous friends, including Jasmine, her new boyfriend, Jason and her baby who she had named Enrique.

Freddie was the first one to be baptized I watched as if the pastor asked him a few questions in a low voice to which he nodded and then dunked him under water. Then my mother gave him a blanket and sat him in a lawn chair as I waded into the water. The pastor, Thomas repeated the procedure with me and when I emerged the birds were singing as if just for me.

My mother was there to meet me with a blanket and shoved me into a lawn chair beside Freddie. As we let the emerging sun dry us, people began setting up for the barbecue. My parents had presents for us they presented each of us with a Bible, Freddie with a brand new PDA, but I got the best present of all, my mother had gone back inside the church and brought out a Portuguese water dog puppy!

"I thought it is time we had a dog in the house again." My mom said beaming.

"What you want to name her?" my father asked.

"Rosie." I answered.

Later that afternoon, as I watched Rosie play with her chew toys in the grass, someone tapped me on the shoulder, it was Jeremy, who had been my boyfriend for the past three months but, much to my parents, relief we weren't serious.

He leaned down to kiss me and as he did so I thought of how much my life had changed in the past year I had gone from a rough-and-tumble lifestyle to something secure and solid (both physically and spiritually) and now I had a relationship to match it.

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